[SOLVED] Dual boot Window$ and Linux question

clmowers · 01-06-2014, 09:07 AM

Hey all, I currently have my laptop dual booted with windows. I upgrade my linux from lm15 to 16 from apt upgrade...and as always seems to be having some issues with it. Never had much luck with apt upgrades. Anywho, is it ok to reinstall LM16 on my laptop with a dual boot. I know the grub takes over the boot process in a dual boot, i just didnt want to reinstall and have something mess up with the winblows partition. There is a couple pieces of hardware i have to have in order to do my job which for some reason i cant get to work on linux (another thread another day as they do support linux)

Im guessing it would be ok I just didnt want to chance it without verifing first

TobiSGD · 01-06-2014, 10:39 AM

The Mint developers discourage to use APT for upgrading to a new version because they know that it can be problematic.
Reinstalling will work without problems, if you do the partitioning manually, specifying to use the already existing partitions. Alternatively you can remove the Linux partitions before you start the installation process and let the Mint installer using the free space.

jms89 · 01-06-2014, 11:30 AM

As long as you install it on the same parition you have it installed on now (make sure / is selected as the mount point for that partition) you can re-install no problem. You should definately do a back-up of all your data before you start though. Also, there's a tutorial about how to back-up your software you've installed through APT on the LM tutorial section of their website, so you don't have to re-download everything.

clmowers · 01-06-2014, 01:39 PM

thanks guys, Yeah I know there always seems to be issues when upgrading with APT, but I was hoping that its been a while since ive done an upgrade like that, that it would be smoother. Last time i did an upgrade like that was i believe it was from ubuntu 9 to 10. Anywho, yeah i will def make an image before i wipe out, just wasn't sure how restalling would work. Never needed a dual boot with windows till now, so if i ever needed to reinstall, it was matter of backup up my home directory and having at it.

If i can find a way to get my ExpressCard to work with linux i woulndt need windows at all.